


Coffee in London

by ThymeSprite



Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-09-27 19:44:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20413288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThymeSprite/pseuds/ThymeSprite
Summary: Alice tries to enjoy her coffee when a stranger comes along. But he is more familiar than she expects.





	Coffee in London

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by a prompt found on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/writing.prompt.s/?hl=en):  
"You are allowed to remember everything I told you to forget."
> 
> ...and a healthy dose of "Good Omens".

Who the hell ever thought that playing Christmas jingles in November was a good idea? 

Certainly not Alice, for it made her sneer into her coffee, never mind that it was her favourite coffee in her favourite coffee shop in her neighbourhood. Something just… did not feel right. What it was, she would probably never know, so to distract herself, she looked out the window next to her little corner booth. 

Mistake. Snow had fallen over night, but there was nothing of the pure white to be found here in London. Everything had turned to mush, grey and disgusting, in a matter of minutes after falling from the heavens. With a wry grin she thought, was that the way of all things? Were we doomed to leave heaven, come down to Earth and then simply rot in this filth, our own creation? 

A loud, hacking cough made her jump in her seat and glance at the guy a few tables over. He did not look well, his eyes glassy and feverish, his whole body shaking from the violence of his cold. If it was a cold at all, not something far worse. No wonder in the harsh weather outside. 

But did anyone care? No, it was the man’s own decision and own responsibility to get himself out of the deep cushions and out into the cold, hopefully to find a warm bed. Alice’s gaze followed him outside and down the street until he rounded a corner and was out of sight. Would she ever meet him again? No matter, really, but an interesting question for her. 

She let her eyes wander and found the homeless woman who always sat across the street, next to the supermarket, holding up her sign that pitifully stated “I am hungry. Please help.” 

No one did, of course not. Alice did not even exclude herself from her loathing, for she had often bought groceries over there and never spared the woman a glance before. Why would she? No one else did, either. 

Her gaze was then drawn to two young men arguing at the traffic light. She could not hear their argument, but their faces and agitated gestures told her enough, they were both angry. Would one of them draw a weapon?, she wondered. Would he brandish a knife or a gun? Would he simply threaten the other man or seriously injure him, maybe kill him? In plain sight? 

Alice kept watching, caught somewhere between worry and morbid fascination, waiting for something to happen. Would the blood freeze on the ground or melt the grey mush? Wou… 

“Is this seat taken?” 

The question startled her out of her morbid thoughts and made Alice turn around. The man was… plain, older than her, with deep set green eyes that captivated her attention for no apparent reason. At least none she could fathom. 

“Um… not really.”, she muttered, then bit her lip. That idiot would now probably sit down and try to talk her into something. Maybe he would try his luck at robbing the cradle, great. 

“Here, for you.”, he said with a pleasant smile on his face that nonetheless made Alice sneer at him as he put a cup of coffee in front of her. Splendid, he was already trying. 

“You looked like you needed a refill.”, he explained with a shrug, thereby explaining bugger all. She was just about to refuse the coffee as politely as she could manage, when she smelt it. That was her favourite coffee, her usual order. 

“Who are you?”, Alice snarled at him and he just smiled and mused: “An old friend.” 

Her stare did not faze him and when he added words, it was more to himself than for her benefit: “More of an acquaintance, really.” 

“I’m leaving.”, Alice stated and stuffed her phone in her pocket, her muscles already poised to stand up and carry her out of the coffee shop, when he softly asked, “Wait.” 

“Why would I d…”, she hissed, but was interrupted, “You are allowed to remember everything I told you to forget.” 

“Listen, jackass…”, Alice snarled, but when she looked into his eyes, her mouth refused to speak. For a moment, her lungs refused to draw breathe, her eyes refused to blink and just stared into his green eyes. That was when her brain shut down. For a moment that could have been an hour she kept staring, unseeing, as memories rushed back, overwhelming her. 

When the onslaught stopped, her breath rushed out of her and she limply fell back in her seat. This was impossible… 

“Do you remember?”, he asked, a sad smile curving his lips strangely downward, “Do you remember who you are? Who I am?” 

“You…” Alice whispered, knowing in her heart of hearts that it was true, yet knowing in her mind that it was utterly impossible, “You are… Metatron.” 

“Yes.”, he simply nodded, but she added, disbelieving, “The Voice of God.” 

“More or less.”, he smirked, then repeated his question, “Do you remember who you are?” 

“I am…”, Alice strained to force the words out, but then faltered. It could not be… 

“I am…”, she tried again and with her eyes closed she whispered through clenched teeth, “I am the Antichrist.” 

“That you are. In the flesh.”, Metatron replied, then slid the coffee into her limp hand, “Drink, I know it’s a lot to take in.” 

That startled a laugh out of Alice, but she drank, even though the coffee was still too hot to drink. She really needed something to ground her. Even if it was ground coffee beans. 

Metatron waited patiently next to her while she was sipping her coffee and sorting through her memories. Most of it was fuzzy, she could not make sense of it. 

“Wait…”, she then narrowed her eyes at him, “If I am… the Antichrist. Is this Armageddon?” 

Again he smiled and she wanted to wipe it off his face. Such an arrogant smile could only be produced by an oh so superior being, she knew it. 

True to form, instead of answering her question, he countered it: “How familiar are you with the Book of Revelations?” 

“Never read it.”, Alice deadpanned and he asked, “The Four Horsemen? Judgement Day?” 

“What about it?”, she muttered and Metatron took a deep sigh, licked his lips and drank from his own cup. 

“Quit stalling.”, Alice hissed, “I just found out, no, remembered that I am the literal Antichrist. Don’t fuck with me. Not today.” 

This made him laugh and when she glared at him, Metatron said: “The world as you know it was supposed to end on your 13th birthday, 13 years ago.” 

After a short pause to think, Alice asked: “Why didn’t it?” 

“Because of hope.”, Metatron sighed, “Or because of stupidity, take it as you will.” 

She did not dignify that with another question, but her narrowed eyes prompted him to explain: “Everything was set up. The Horsemen were on their way to you, Death was already with you. The Heavenly Host was armed and ready to go, as was Hell’s army. And then… then came the order to stop. I don’t know what happened exactly, but both sides stopped. I was the one to tell our soldiers to stand down, that we would fight another day, but I don’t know why.” 

“Yet you ordered them to stand down?”, she asked, incredulous, but Metatron simply gave her a look. 

“I am the Voice of God, girl. If He gives an order, you follow.” 

Sure, Alice thought, but did not say anything. Arguing with a priest was bad enough, she had tried, but with an angel? She could not believe her train of thought, but she knew it would be pointless. Instead she prompted: “So He ordered a truce? And Hell listened? I thought they were supposed to disobey?” 

Metatron merely smiled, shrugged and then proceeded: “At the time I thought God had given the order, now I am not so sure. And mind you, it’s blasphemy to even think that. But maybe, just maybe… we were manipulated. You’re right, why would Hell take a pass on the end of the World? I don’t know, yet they did. So maybe they orchestrated it all. I don’t think we’ll ever know, although God certainly does.” 

“And He didn’t bother to tell you lot.” 

Metatron did not respond to that and Alice was glad for it. Pointless arguing. 

“I fail to see what that has to do with me.”, she then said after a beat, “Armageddon was averted, the World kept spinning, I forgot my purpose because you told me to. So why talk to me now? Why make me remember?” 

“Because we need you.”, Metatron sighed, sadness settling into his eyes, “The world needs you.” 

“Me?”, Alice laughed in his face, “The world needs the Antichrist?” 

She chortled into her coffee, but her face fell when she saw the serious expression on his face. Sadness so profound it made her swallow uncomfortably. 

“Have you never wondered about that bracelet of yours?”, Metatron asked, his voice paperthin and barely above a whisper, “Did you never wonder what it means?” 

“It’s…”, Alice began, but then chuckled, “… a family heirloom. Wow.” 

She raised her left hand to her face and looked at the three charms dangling from the bracelet, their meaning dawning on her with her memory now intact. 

“A crown for Pestilence, a sword for War and a pair of scales for Famine.” 

“Are you sure you haven’t read the Book of Revelations?”, Metatron wryly asked, but at her silence, still staring at the symbols of three of the Four Horsemen, he murmured, “You carry them with you because they are a part of you, as you are a part of them. The Horsemen heed your call.” 

“Where is Death?”, Alice asked and Metatron raised his brows, then explained, “Ah, Death is independent. She works tirelessly and without judgement.” 

“She?”, Alice wondered and he nodded, but then took a deep breath, “Death works where she is called, no matter whose death calls her there, no matter what cause. The rest of the lot… is not so reliable.” 

“Start making sense.”, Alice demanded and Metatron gulped, then revealed, “When Judgement Day came and went without anything happening, the Apocalypse cancelled, so to speak, you were… neutralised, for lack of a better word. But you are the Antichrist, the one who commands the Four Horsemen. And when you were lost to them, they lost their purpose. Death had a purpose before, she just does what is necessary, but the rest, they have to be kept in check. And as you were gone, well…” 

He hesitated. Gulped again and stayed silent. 

“Speak.”, Alice growled, so close to the root of the matter she could almost taste it. She thought she now knew what was wrong, but she had to be sure, had to hear it from him, “Speak, old man.” 

“They lost their mistress, you. So they… lost their way. They have been running amok for the last thirteen years. You just have to watch the news or read the papers. Wars ravage the world, Famine their constant companion, but even where there is food aplenty, people hunger for other things. Pestilence runs rampant next to War and Famine, but where there is medicine available, the illnesses evolve, turn more and more cruel. And don’t get me started on pollution. They have been running unchecked for thirteen years.” 

Metatron was breathing heavily when he fell silent, but into the quietness following his words, Alice asked: “What has that got to do with me?” 

“You are…!”, he began, agitated, shook his head and blinked in disbelief, “You are the Antichrist, their Mistress. You can stop them!” 

“So can Heaven.”, Alice shrugged, “God Almighty could, easily.” 

Metatron sputtered, then whispered, “No. We can’t.” 

“Why is that?”, Alice inquired with a feral grin, remembering every fight she had ever had with a priest or someone else trying to teach her about Jesus, God and religion in general, “I thought God was almighty? That he wanted only what is best for his beloved children? Surely war, famine and pestilence aren’t on that list. So why does Heaven not do anything about it?” 

“We… we can’t.”, Metatron stated again and Alice hissed, “Why not?” 

“Because…”, he began, fell silent and then admitted, “Earth is neutral territory. No one is allowed to interfere. Neither Heaven nor Hell.” 

“Let me get this straight.”, Alice calmly spoke, her voice all but dead in her anger, kept as calm as she managed, “You are dumping the fate of the world on my shoulders because of bureaucratic bullshit?!” 

“…essentially, yes.”, Metatron nodded and she laughed. Alice threw her head back in laughter that shook her entire body, made heads turn in the coffee shop, but she did not care. She laughed, ignored Metatron shifting uncomfortably in his seat next to her, she just laughed. Once she had calmed down a bit, she looked into his eyes and as she saw the hopeful glint in them, she laughed again, curelly this time, before she stated: “The world was supposed to end thirteen years ago. Let it.” 

“No!”, Metatron violently shook his head, “No. Not like this!” 

“How would you like it then?”, Alice sharply asked, “In a fiery fight between Heaven and Hell, Good and Evil? Do you want all of humanity killed in the process, delivered to Heaven or Hell, wherever they belong according to your questionable standards? What would you fancy, then, eh?” 

“Alice…”, he muttered feebly, but she grabbed her bag and jumped to her feet, “We are done here.”

With that she stormed out into the cold, but Alice relished the wind on her face, whipping her hair around. Yes, the world was cruel, but it was honest. It was not manipulating her to make her comply to its wishes. It just was. 

Alice took a deep breath and with the cold air in her lungs came clarity in her mind. Maybe the world deserved to end. But who was she to decide that? The Antichrist, yes, but other than that? It just enabled her to end the world, it did not mean she had any authority to decide that. 

So she would go and try to find her lost brethren, the Four Horsemen, and see about the fate of the world together. She had no idea how to start, but Metatron would not have been much help either, that she knew with absolute clarity. 

Alice opened her eyes and met dark ones she had seen hundreds of times before. Yet now she truly recognised them. 

“Hello, old friend.”, spoke Death and embraced her, as she had dozens of times before when she had been Alice’s babysitter.

“You?”, she muttered into the black hair of her oldest friend, her one true friend, and when Death let her go, but held onto her shoulders more lovingly than anyone else, she replied, “Of course, dear.” 

Alice chuckled and glanced at the charms on her bracelet. Without her having to say anything, Death simply knew. “Ready to go?” 

Alice nodded: “Let’s find them.”


End file.
